Center News and Notes

At the Western Interstate Energy Board, Carly Eckstrom writes, “My project this summer is to take stock of the current electrical ‘resource adequacy’ landscape in the West, and to write a proposal that would lead to improvements in western resource planning.”

California has committed to very ambitious goals for zero-net energy green buildings. At the state’s Public Utilities Commission, the intern Sheila Gao says, “I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to explore pathways towards those goals.”

This roundup of journalism about the West’s environment and health usually offers a variety of sources about a variety of subjects from a variety of places. In this midsummer month, we focus on the same subject that many news outlets are covering – the heat and the fires.

“I love seeing glimpses of the park from the past, with some photos dating to the late 19th century,” says Yosemite Archives intern Emily Wilson. “Unfortunately,” she says, “I have also seen Yosemite in the age of a warming climate” – as she fled the Ferguson fire to safety.

California’s wildfires have destroyed homes and communities, and even people hundreds of miles away are feeling the effects of smoke. Stanford faculty weigh in on the health effects and increasing frequency of fires.